apprendistato
by Liebchen-chan
Summary: 50 themes challenge. There are ups and downs to being apprentices    Just a glance into their lives
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed and do not profit in any way from writing this fiction. It is merely for entertainment purposes.

1. Innocence

He always thought he had lost it a long, long time ago but when he finally kills his first human, stabs them through the heart with his hidden blade, he realizes that he still had his innocence. Until now.

2. Entombment

He never thought it would end this way, with his body covered by large boulders and rocks, only his arm sticking out, the fresh air kissing his skin. He's certain that his other arm has been crushed beyond repair but that doesn't matter, does it?

_At least_, he thinks with no little mirth, _he has a tomb to rest in already._

3. A Forgotten Name

When the man who saved her asks her for a name ( his eyes are weary and tired, filled with pain and determination and a spark of life that will only die out once his life extinguishes ) she pauses and tells him the name of another.

Her name will be forgotten and die for the sake of Rome's future.

4. Rising Tide

It's subtle but they can all feel it. The rising tide, the rising feelings of restlessness and the knowledge that this will have to end very soon, lest they all be washed away.

5. A Broken Picture

He finds it in the still smoking ruins of his home, a half-burned portrait, his mother sitting on a chair with her little twin girls held in her arms, a wide, happy smile on her lips. The eldest sister is standing next to the chair, looking proud and like one of those very expensive dolls. He follows the hand resting on his older sister's shoulder and meets his father's brown eyes. Even now, they reflect his humor and passion for life.

His own lithe, boyish form is not on the picture anymore, burned away by the fire. It is for the better.

6. Leaves Falling In Autumn

Ezio cannot deny them this small pleasure, watching the younger and some of the playful older novices run around and kick up the leaves, laughing so joyfully at Autumn's arrival.

Tomorrow, they'll have to kill again.

7. Birth

Emerging from the cold water, finally no longer a novice but a full-fledged Assassin – It's like being born again.

8. Falling Into The Abyss

They've all reached that point at least once, the feeling of wanting to scream and run, run away forever from the darkness looming near the edge. But they all also have to learn how to jump, leave those fears behind unless they want to fall deep into the abyss of their souls.

9. Near-death Experience

She's gasping, spluttering, rolling to her side to cough up more water, shivering and a hand clinging to the arm of her sister who is related to her in everything but blood.

After that, the Maestro orders everyone to learn how to swim, his lips pulled into a grim grin and worried lines crinkling around his eyes.

10. Beautiful Sunset

The newest recruits usually know little about free-running and climbing so Ezio makes them climb a not too high viewpoint just in time for them to enjoy the setting sun, painting Rome yellow and orange, dousing the novices in the warmth of the city they've sworn to protect.

They climb back down, chatting away excitedly. Back in the hideout they ask him when the next climbing lesson will be.

13. Home Alone

When the Maestro is out on late night missions, they always await his return with anxiety painted on their faces.

19. Political Corruption

Rome is full of it but they didn't realize how much of it filled the city until two of the older recruits come back, faces tight with fury as they retell the story of an harmless, thin boy being stabbed to death for attempting to steal an apple.

None of the Guards are still alive but this knowledge does little to soothe the anger and worry that makes up the smothering atmosphere of the hideout.

28. A Shy Person In The Middle Of A Crowd

When they crowd around their new sister to greet her, she murmurs a shy greeting back in return, shuffling from foot to foot, ducking her head and trying not to look at anyone. Some wonder why the Maestro asked such a shy dove to join their Brotherhood.

Until they see her calmly taking a nosy Guard apart.

30. Kraken

"Did you hear? The Maestro fought a Kraken when he was younger! It lurked in one of the old tombs he used to explore! It was a long and vicious fight and it nearly ate the Maestro!"

"...Kraken don't exist, Enrico."

37. The 5th Dimension

When Ezio asks them about what happened, all the answer he gets is a drunkly giggled 'The 5th Dimension!' before the recruit slumps over to join the rest of her hung over and most likely still drunken brothers and sisters.

_Maybe_, Ezio muses, he shouldn't have let some of them trail Leonardo. _They'd obviously picked up some odd words from him._


	2. Chapter 2

11. New School 

The new recruit falls flat on his face when he attempts to dodge the punch thrown at him, landing in a tumble and making his sparring partner chuckle throatily, a more calloused hand pulling the novice back up by his arm.

12. Describing Colour To A Blind Person 

"Do you remember the feeling of the sun on your skin?" There is a muffled grunt and a single, milky eye stares at her. Patiently, she continues. "That's what orange and yellow look like. And red is the anger you feel when things go wrong and dark blue is the feeling of a cold gust of wind and light blue is-" He's not looking (because he _can't_) at her but she can tell he's listening.

It's all she can do for her now blind partner who barely survived losing one eye and the ability to see with the other. So she continues.

14. Nightmare 

It's an utter and complete nightmare. Somewhere next to him, a woman is screaming, the lower part of her arm dangling from the rest of her body and somewhere behind him, a child is crying and yelling for its' mother and father and it's getting louder and then _someone is approaching his own form, huddled in another room and_-

He wakes up in cold sweat, breathing harshly through his nose as he stuffs a fist into his mouth to keep himself from screaming.

In another room, Ezio lies away and wonders if he should let them deal with their fears alone.

15. Dreams 

They look at each other and, as one, turn to their enemy. "For Roma!"

16. Inner strength 

It takes a lot of inner strength to endure the harsh training and even more when they find the lifeless body of one of their own in the river.

17. Self-Hatred 

Ezio's throat goes dry as he approaches the dead body of his student, one of his wards, one of his _siblings._ He failed again and old self-hatred, despair and anguish well up in his chest before he forces them down, crouching down next to the body to close those (once vibrant and lively) brown eyes forever.

18. Martyrdom 

Machiavelli nearly feels his heart stop when the axe sails through the air, sees it in slow motion and his instincts are telling him to dodge but his muscles are screaming in protest-

There is a sickening, dull noise and Niccoló can't believe what he's seeing. A recruit, smiling weakly at him. The axe is stuck in the novice's shoulder and blood is soaking the white robes.

"Are you alright, Maestro?"

21. Genius 

"I'm an utter and complete genius!" Ten minutes later, he's dangling from one of the city's higher viewpoints and wonders if climbing it was such a good idea after all.

22. Thanksgiving 

Ezio can't help but raise an eyebrow at the small pile of gifts on his bed. They are various degrees of wrapped, raging from 'neatly' to 'sloppily' but they all convey a simple, heartfelt message.

27. Orange Leaves In Autumn 

Curling up under the nearly bare tree, he stares up to the clear blue autumn sky and watches a single orange leaf drift down and land on his target's unmoving and cold body.

29. Unrequited love 

He takes a deep breath and shakes his head at the girls confession, slinking back into the shadows.

"My world is not for you. Stay in the light where you belong and you'll find someone else."

After all, he'll soon be washing his hands of another person's blood again and it might as well be hers.

40. Trial And Error 

La Volpe quirks an eyebrow as a young novice runs past him, cursing colourfully under her breath. Discreetly, he throws a small knife at one of the Guards following her.

Ezio should really teach his students how to not be caught stealing.

42. Two-Faced 

They all fear her because one moment, she's smiling oh so sweetly, innocently, a rose without thorns, and another heartbeat later, she has them flat on her back, sword pressed against their throats and the smile has turned utterly malicious.

44. Ordinary 

She does not excel at anything in particular, she likes sewing but her works are nothing special. She fulfils her duties for her families because she has to, not because she wants to. And so they don't expect anything out of the ordinary to happen when she leaves the town for her fencing lessons.

She never comes back, now a white shadow flitting through Rome's streets.

46. Someone Who Lives To Watch The World Burn.

His eyes light up and his lips are pulled into a grin as he watches the Borgia tower burn down.


	3. Chapter 3

20. Self-Completion

They know that Rome isn't free even if the Borgia are gone for good but for one day, they all allow themselves to believe that their work is done and their mission complete.

Ezio indulges them, just for one day.

23. Halloween

Ezio raises an eyebrow at the candles set up on their hideout's roof. His novices give him a small, apologetic grin and tell him that it's so the ghosts of their lost brothers and sisters could return to them just for one day if they were given the means to find their former home.

24. Christmas

It's the second time Ezio finds a small pile of gifts on his bed. And while he idly wonders if he should be proud of his recruits (for getting past his traps) or chew them out (for _getting past his traps)_ a small smile touches the corners of his mouth.

25. Guilt

"I'm sorry." He's pressing his fingers over a wound that doesn't seem to stop bleeding no matter what he does and it's soaking her clothes, tainting her smile with the bitter-sweet taste of defeat.

"I'm so sorry." Her smile widens again and she raises a hand to press her cold, trembling fingers against his cheek.

Even the forgiveness in her eyes doesn't stop the feeling of shame and guilt welling up in his chest when her hand hits the dirty ground.

26. Daydreams

He liked to dream of being just like a bird. One of those who were free to go wherever they wanted to, sailing through the skies and claiming it as their kingdom.

He never thought they would actually come true one day.

31. Memories

There are two kinds of memories in her head. Those of a young girl whose smile was as wide as the open sky and who seemed to have no worries.

The others are filled with people wearing white cloaks, their faces hidden beneath their hoods.

She prefers the second set of memories. They are far more real than the childhood she can barely remember.

32. Revolution

They start it from the inside of Rome, little bits and pieces but soon there are people whispering, feeding the little spark they started until it's a full out revolution.

33. The Shining Auroras

"I swear they were there! They were like... like green and blue and red and-"

"Those are called fireworks, you know."

34. Poverty

She whirls around to look at the older recruit, almost dropping the bread she was about to hand to a child.

He doesn't question her actions and just brushes past her. He knows what it's like to live like this.

35. A Hero Among Evil

She lands in the middle of the group of Guards kicking away at the broken body of an old man already too weak to stand up. Her hidden blade glints in the pale moonlight as she dodges and moves and twists and ends.

She barely has time to help the shaky old man up who is babbling apologies and his thanks in the same breath and she can't help but give him a small smile before she is gone.

36. An Entity Who Shows Itself

It's usually not what they do, they stay in the shadows, in the darkness, blend into the masses that eat them up like a tasty treat.

The only time they show themselves is when death draws near.

38. Berserk Wildlife

"Look!" Ezio is pinching the bridge of his nose as he stares at the bright-eyed, smiling novice who has an obviously feral young dog biting down on his hand.

"I think it likes me!"

39. A Light In The Black

They're all worn out from this difficult mission on which the Maestro had sent only his best five recruits. But when they see the gentle golden light eminating from one of the windows if their home, none of them bother to hide their smiles.

41. A Creation

It's what their little Brotherhood is. What each and every single one of them is.

43. Disillusionment

They all tell themselves that they won't remember the faces of the people they have killed.

They also know that this is a lie after their first kill.

* * *

I would like to thank the people who have reviewed so far! I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the previous one.


	4. The Mind of a Villain

**WARNING**. Number 45 contains violence, blood in addition to torture so it's technically rated M. Please, please, _please_ don't read it unless you are sure you can handle it. I really don't want to give any of the readers nightmares. This is by far the most violent of the drabbles. It is also the longest up until now.

I also hope this chapter isn't too confusing.

* * *

45. The Mind Of A Villain

When they say that he's the one who should try his hand at the stubborn Guard, who really does know more than he should and he knows it (and they know as well), his eyes light up and the grin on his face makes the newer recruit flinch back, horrified at how utterly twisted it is. _No one should be happy about being giving the opportunity to hurt someone. _

He just laughs and pats the other recruit's back and tells him to run along now, lips still curled into a smile that causes the other to tremble under his hood and his throat go dry, fingers shaking as he removes the hand from his shoulder before he excuses himself and leaves after dropping a key into the palm of the hand that seems all to eager to squeeze the life out of someone.

The owner of said hand closes his fingers around it while another burst of laughter bubbles up in his chest and he laughs gleefully, turning to disappear down into the cellar hidden beneath the hideout. The dark sound bounces off the walls and causes those who hear it to shudder.

The tortured man is lying in his cell, quite out of it with the side of his mouth bleeding sluggishly, the rest of the body bruised and his eyes are trying to see the shadowed face under the hood. He deems it impossible to see more than the twist on the other's face because his gaze seems to focus on it, no matter how much he wants to look elsewhere.

The apprentice giggles and opens the cell, dragging the Guard to his feet and dragging him along to the room where he knows they'll have the time of their lives. He notices that his prisoner doesn't struggle, doesn't seem to be afraid of the room yet.

He'll have to change that.

It starts with smalltalk, informing the bleeding man of the nice weather outside, the wind and the sun and the way he could just go back there to meet his family and lead a normal life. All he needs to do is tell them what he knows about the lovely Borgia family.

Stoic silence is his only answer but he keeps chatting away, laughing and telling him about how the last one that refused to answer the simplest questions. All while idly clearing the dirt from underneath his fingernails with his dagger.

The silence continues and the recruit finally shrugs, pushes himself away from the wall and walks to the wooden table the prisoner is currently chained to, tilting his head like a curious bird who doesn't know how to deal with a new situation.

And then he buries the dagger in the Guard's left knee, looking unhealthily satisfied at the scream that erupts from the Guard's throat and the sickening cracking and squishy noise as skin and bone and muscle are torn and broken.

Though he cheerfully tells his by now harshly breathing victim that he still has his right leg to rely on, should he start talking now.

An angry glare is the only answer he gets so he shrugs his shoulders again and pulls back to make sure that the Guard can not slip his hands through the cuffs before he skips off, out the door which he locks behind him.

His merry singing continues to bounce off the hallways, an old song about love and the ladies and wine. A song about freedom.

He returns three days later, wrinkling his nose at the smell that fills the room but his face lights up when he sees that the rats have started to work on the Guard's toes, they're bloody and fleshy and look so disgusting that even their owner doesn't want to look at them anymore.

Delighted laughter fills the air and the apprentice stuffs the rest of his mouth-watering smelling bread into his mouth, chewing as he examines the toes with the curiosity of a child, prodding at them and perking up at the pained noise that comes from his prisoner. Not dead. Probably hungry. So the recruit pulls out another small slice of bread and takes a large bite out of it, all while keeping his eyes on the Guard who is watching his every move with dull but definitely alive eyes.

But the apprentice is not asking questions, just eating his bread while making satisfied noises and he looks so content that the Guard wants to murder him.

When he finally starts asking the questions, spiteful glaring is one again the only answer.

Sighing, the assassin recruit pats the prisoner's cheek and starts to remove his dagger from where it is still stuck in the horrible mangled knee. He takes his sweet time, singing that song about freedom again, accompanied by the sickening squelching noises and the pained whimpers coming from his victim.

Once it's out, he buries it in the right leg, not far from the foot and tells the Guard that he'll never get the chance to dream ever again.

And he doesn't far every time his eyelashes flutter and his eyes start to close, dirty, smelly water is dumped on his face to keep him awake. That and the malicious smile from the person sitting on a chair not too far away from him.

He must have spaced out because when he comes to, the apprentice is playing with his fingers, treating them as if they are little puppets, moving them around, bending them and making them talk to each other with silly little noises.

And then there is the odd noise of something metallic moving and suddenly, one of his fingers is gone. The Guard stares, horrified and then starts to scream, struggling and trying to get away from this mad person.

_Oh, silly me_, the recruit giggles and tilts his head while staring at the pinky finger he's holding up to examine. _I forgot to remove the fingernail first!_

He doesn't forget when the thumb falls victim to the hidden blade.

Another day passes before the Guard finally, finally breaks. His right hand is gone completely and the infected wounds make him delirious enough to start crying and begging to mercy.

Instantly, the apprentice starts to smooth the sweaty and ratty bangs away from the Guard's forehead, cooing and telling him that things will stop if he just starts talking. With a feeble nod, the mangled man opens his mouth to answer but his throat is dry and cracked and only a pitiful noise leaves him.

He looks so panicked that the apprentice lets out a thrilled laugh before fetching some wine thinned with water, holding it up so the man can drink it huge gulps. He starts to demand more but the gaze that meets his is cold and uncaring despite the soothing smile that graces the apprentice's lips now.

So he starts talking.

He's crying when he reaches the end of his knowledge, voice cracked and broken beyond repair just like his body but his eyes. They're hopeful.

The blade that stabs him right through his heart brings blood to his mouth and it tastes like freedom. He's dead before he realizes that he's gone.

The recruit laughs, gleefully, and bounces out of the room up the stairs where he grabs another recruit with his bloody, dirty hands and twirls them around once before he is out of the door to give _il Mentore_ his report.

The Maestro told them to always respect the dead so after everything is said and done, he gives the body a burial outside of the city.

It is only proper.

And he can't wait to make someone writhe again and again until

they

_break._

Just like he did, a long time ago.


End file.
